Law and Welsh (LLB)

Why study this course

The LLB Law and Welsh programme is both challenging and stimulating, enabling you to build the skills required for a career in law or a wide range of professions. In addition to the foundation modules constituting the academic stage of training that is necessary to become a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales, known as the ‘Qualifying Law Degree’, we offer a wide selection of optional study areas which cover traditional and contemporary legal subjects. The programme is taught collaboratively by the Schools of Welsh, and Law and Politics, thus providing you with the opportunity for in-depth study in both disciplines.

Our degree enables you to complete the academic stage of training to become a barrister or solicitor and to proceed directly to the vocational stages of training for the legal profession in England and Wales: the Bar Professional Training Course or Legal Practice Course. We are the only Russell Group University to offer both of these courses, meaning that you have the option to stay with us in Cardiff to complete your entire legal education. The Legal Practice Course has consistently received the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority/Law Society’s highest rating.

The devolution of Welsh Government and the introduction of the Welsh Language Act has meant that the ability to speak and understand Welsh to a high level is attractive to employers. Studying at Cardiff is an opportunity to benefit from socially-relevant research which is contributing to the development of Welsh in the twenty-first century.

Distinctive features

We are committed to developing your employability, with our dedicated Careers Consultant on hand two days a week in the Law building. We offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities, some unique to Cardiff University, which equip our students with a competitive edge over other law graduates.

Pro Bono Schemes

We work in partnership with lawyers, charities and voluntary organisations to give our students the opportunity to practise and extend their skills.

Our two most established schemes are our Innocence Project (the first in the UK to have a conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal) and our NHS Continuing Healthcare Scheme, which is unique to Cardiff.

Both initiatives have won or been shortlisted for prestigious national awards and help by assisting members of the community and vulnerable groups with matters for which there is in reality no legal aid. You can also apply for a place on our scheme with the Welsh Rugby Union, where we advise amateur rugby clubs on legal issues.

The application process for each of our schemes is different and we cannot guarantee that students will secure a place on the scheme of their choice, or on any of our schemes. Our portfolio is regularly reviewed and what we offer is subject to change.

Mooting

Our students are encouraged to enter annual mooting competitions. These competitions give you an opportunity to present legal issues before a judge, against an opposing counsel.

Mooting is a great skill to be able to add to your CV and provides an invaluable experience of public speaking in a formal setting.

Client interviewing competition

Our students are encouraged to take part in an annual client interviewing competition, which has Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC as its President.

You will gain crucial experience interviewing and counselling in a simulated setting and will be assessed against specific criteria that include interpersonal skills and your ability to handle legal problems.

AAB-ABB including Welsh as a first language if all qualifications taken within 3 years. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking will not be accepted.

Extended Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Other UK qualifications may also be accepted, often in lieu of A-levels, but subject requirements must be met. If you are offering non-UK qualifications, our qualification equivalences guide should allow you to calculate what kind of offer you are likely to receive.

Please be aware that this is a general guide, and that some programmes may have more detailed or specific entry requirements which will be reflected in your offer.

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

access to computers or devices that can store images

use of internet and communication tools/devices

curfews

freedom of movement

contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Tuition fees

UK and EU students (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Students from outside the EU (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Additional costs

Course specific equipment

Accommodation

We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Course structure

In each year of the course, you will take modules to the value of 120 credits.

In year one you will take four compulsory 20 credit Law modules and two compulsory 20 credit modules in Welsh. These do not count towards the final degree classification.

In years two and three there are a small number of compulsory modules, including a dissertation in Welsh on a legal topic in year three, but the majority are chosen from the ranges of options in both Law and Welsh. This gives you flexibility to pursue your personal interests. The subjects required for legal practice in the UK can all be taken.

The level of degree qualification that you are awarded is based on the grades you achieve in the modules that you take in years two and three.

In your second year you will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement which will be carried out in the third year of your LLB Law degree. The full-time, salaried placements will be open to you via a competitive application process which aims to replicate the graduate recruitment processes you will encounter after leaving university. During your placement, you will undertake legal practice as paralegals, and will be performing graduate level roles. You will develop both key practitioner skills such as case management, legal research and legal writing in addition to generic employability skills such as time management, team working and commercial awareness. Placements will be located in Cardiff and will count for 10% of degree classification.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2020/21 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2020.

Year one

You will take four compulsory 20 credit Law modules and two compulsory 20 credit modules in Welsh in year one, providing you with a solid base for the next two years of your degree programme.

Year two

You will choose 80 credits from the Law modules available. This list is kept under review on an annual basis in light of factors such as student demand, staff expertise and student demand and changes in the legal context.

You then choose the remaining modules from the list of options for Welsh.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Learning and assessment

You will primarily be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars, although your Welsh modules will also offer the opportunity for workshops and language classes.

Lectures take a range of forms but generally provide a broad structure for each subject, introduce key concepts, and convey relevant up-to-date information. You will also have access to recorded versions of Law lectures.

In tutorials and seminars you will have the opportunity to discuss particular themes or topics, to consolidate and get feedback on your individual learning and to develop skills in oral presentation. Communication skills are developed in tutorials, where you will make individual contributions to group study, for example by summarising a particular judgment or article for the group.

You will practise and develop legal, intellectual and presentational skills by participating in diverse learning activities, such as solving legal problems, small-group discussions, debates, moots, oral presentations, independent research tasks and written assignments. You will also enhance your team-working skills.

Year 1

Scheduled learning and teaching activities

20%

Guided independent study

80%

Placements

0%

Year 2

Scheduled learning and teaching activities

17%

Guided independent study

81%

Placements

2%

Year 3

Scheduled learning and teaching activities

16%

Guided independent study

83%

Placements

1%

How will I be supported?

You will be allocated personal tutors who will help you reflect on your performance on the course and advise you on study techniques, module selection and career planning (in conjunction with the University’s Career Service). They will also provide a first point of contact if you experience any difficulties.

An extensive programme of careers lectures and workshops is delivered within the School and a Law Careers Consultant is available.

A range of staff are available to provide further support, including an academic support tutor, a pro-bono scheme co-ordinator and specialist law librarians. A member of academic staff acts as a designated Disability and Diversity Officer and ensures that reasonable adjustments are made for students with disabilities.

All modules make extensive use of the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Central, where you can access discussion forums and find course materials including recordings of lectures, links to related materials, multiple-choice tests, past exam papers and examples of student work from previous years.

We’ll provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback during tutorials, personalised feedback on written work, feedback lectures, generic written feedback and feedback on tutorial performance.

Year 1

Written exams

75%

Practical exams

3%

Coursework

22%

Year 2

Written exams

70%

Practical exams

5%

Coursework

25%

Year 3

Written exams

69%

Practical exams

0%

Coursework

31%

What skills will I practise and develop?

A law degree develops your ability to organise facts and ideas in a systematic way, identifying relevant information and evaluating these to formulate advice for a client or a legal argument.

You will also:

enhance your ability to argue in an objective, reasoned, professional manner, with due regard to authority and acceptable citation methods

develop your communication skills in English and Welsh, both orally and in writing

learn how to use subject specific electronic sources, databases and the Virtual Learning Environment to gather evidence and to research legal questions.

Careers

Career prospects

In 2015/16, 97% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating.

Students who have chosen to work immediately following their degree have obtained roles as negotiators, paralegals, remortgage handlers and lawyers with law firms such as Hugh James Solicitors, Admiral Law, Eversheds LLP and NHS Wales Legal and Risk Services.

A law degree doesn’t restrict graduates to careers within the legal profession. Each year a number of law graduates enter professions as diverse as finance, sales and marketing, digital communications and recruitment.

School of Welsh

In 2015/16, 100% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating.

The demand for Welsh speakers means that a degree in Welsh can be a highly valuable for jobs and roles that require bilingual speakers. Many of our graduates are now following careers in areas such as law, politics, media, performing arts, administration and education, and at all levels.

Studying in Welsh

Up to 100% of this course is available through the medium of Welsh. Please contact the Admissions tutor for more information.